Immigration chief reveals 35% rise in overseas Hong Kong assistance cases
RTHK · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Director of Immigration Kwok Chun-fung disclosed on a radio programme that the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Outside Hong Kong Unit handled over 3,000 assistance requests in the first eight months of this year, marking a 35% increase year-on-year. The surge was mainly linked to military conflicts in the Middle East during the early part of the year, while about half of the remaining cases involved lost travel documents .
Key Points
- The Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Outside Hong Kong Unit received over 3,000 assistance requests in the first eight months of this year, up approximately 35% year-on-year
- The increase was primarily associated with military conflicts in the Middle East during the early part of the year
- Around half of the remaining cases involved loss of travel documents
- Director Kwok Chun-fung reminded travellers to keep their documents secure, especially in European countries where theft is common
- Many countries do not allow departure without a passport
- Travellers should purchase travel insurance to cover expensive medical evacuation costs
- The Immigration Department is actively researching the introduction of AI to optimise visa processing for student and foreign domestic helper visas
Why It Matters
The significant increase in overseas assistance cases underscores the growing importance of travel safety for Hong Kong residents amid global instability, while the planned adoption of AI in visa processing signals a major step toward modernising the Immigration Department's services and reducing waiting times for applicants .
The significant increase in overseas assistance cases underscores the growing importance of travel safety for Hong Kong residents amid global instability, while the planned adoption of AI in visa processing signals a major step toward modernising the Immigration Department's services and reducing waiting times for applicants .